יום חמישי, מאי 04, 2006

Mishmar Ayalon to Jerusalem

Biblical holidays are different than the modern ones. The way they are described in scripture is agrarian. We tend to relate to them as "other worldly", spiritual, and somewhat disconnected.

Like all good adjudicators I feel both views are correct. We see with many concepts that different people or places bring forth different aspects of that concept. The holidays can been viewed purely in their spiritual light and that's fine. I feel Israel brings out the biblical, agricultural, physical side of the Jewish holidays.

{Our bus is struggling up the hill towards the capital. We're not moving more than 10 km/h. The hills are green from all the rain I missed while out of the country. Before we hit the Jerusalem hills we drove past the wheat fields around Latrun. Those fields are soaked in blood and history, but that's a whole 'nother past for a different time.}

 The wheat has turned brown and gold. Soon it will be sitting in stacks, drying in the sun. It helps me understand the references to the agrarian aspect of Pesach. Shavuot is the time to gather the wheat and you can look around and see it happening here. The time in between the two (Pesach to Shavuot) is clearly connected to the harvest of the wheat and therefore the offerings of the matza and the bread (Omer and Two Breads).

With all this so clear to me, how should I connect to these holidays when I celebrate them in the South African fall? Or Succot when we are supposed to live outside and it's snowing in Cleveland? Either something is wrong with the holiday or something is wrong with the place.

Pesach in NYC did have the perk of seeing family. And a Nets vs. Celtics game.

posted by YS @ 2:28 PM